Tropical Fruits of Indonesia
Mango
mix fruits
East Java has earned the reputation of being the nation’s fruit bowl. It is particularly known for its apples and mangoes which are now being exported if there is an abundant yield. Mangos, however, are a very popular fruit and this counts for the whole nation. Topping the list of a great variety here is the famous Mangga Arum Manis which grows very well on East Java soil. Whole areas around Probolinggo and Pasuruan, have been converted into mango plantations. When in season, which falls mostly in the hottest and driest period of the year, Arum Manis is transported by trainload to destinations scattered over the entire island of Java. But the bulk is still going to the capital, Jakarta, which, with a population of more than 8 million, is still the largest consumer.
Arum Manis is a dark green mango even when ripe. Its flesh is at times lemon and in another variety deep orange. The Arum Manis flavor, however, is unmistakable in character which other mango varieties have not been able to equal. Its sweetness sometimes borders on nectar without a cloying after taste. There are three popular mango varieties in this country. The Golek is the largest mango variety whose sweetness does not come up to par with that of Arum Manis and Manalagi. Even so, the fruit is economically a winner because of its fleshy contents. Although the mango has been around for centuries in Indonesia, the fruit was originally from India. From the folklore stories still told to this day, one may safely assume that the fruit made its entry during the Hindu period. The legend about the mango in the region of Pasuruan was undoubtedly born in those days, a tale persisting in the belief that the fruit is a reincarnation of the deity Prajapati.
Improvement in the local horticultural techniques benefited the East Java fruit growers who saw their crop yields growing each year. 1983 went down in the annals of the Regional Government as a lucky year for mango export. Most of the fruit export is destined for Singapore where it is then distributed to other places around the globe. One of the stumbling blocks in the tropical fruit export is packaging. Tropical fruit needs careful packing since many fruit varieties spoil and bruise easily.
Mangoes of lesser varieties are legion in the country. Some of these varieties are, Egg Mango (mangga telur), Mango Indramayu, Mango Kwini, but far too many to be named here. The most dominating feature of these mangoes are that its flesh incorporates a network of fibrous strings which are in the habit of getting stuck in one’s teeth. These mangoes are also quite cheap. One type, known as Mango Kwini in the province of North Sulawesi, and the southern part of the province of North Sumatera spreads a penetrating and stifling odor when it is ripe. This variety almost always gives itself away in households who have a few in stock. Apart from the appalling odor it emits, Mango Kwini’s flavor is actually quite pleasant to the taste. The fruit is rather large and round and the skin is a dirty green speckled with black spots. The fruit grows on all islands of the archipelago. The Egg Mango is an attractive looking fruit. When it is ripe, the fruit turns bright orange. The Egg Mango, so called because it is shaped like an egg, is smallish in size but It is one of the most reasonably priced mangos available.
Apples (Males Sylvestris)
Apples are grown in this part of the world. To be more precise, they are grown in East Java in the mountain region of Malang and Batu. The first apple tree sprouted up decades ago when a Dutchman with a green thumb tried to grow a four season plant in a totally different climate and soil. Malang seems to have the right temperature for apple growing. Situated on a level of 700-800 meter above sea level, the first trees were doing surprisingly well despite the tropical climate. There was a large difference though between the European apple and his Malang grown sister, which became all too apparent when the first fruits were harvested. The apples were reportedly too sour for consumption. For a while people in Malang regarded the apple tree as a decorative shrub to have in the garden. The fruits usually went to waste as they were declared as quite inedible. In several instances it was reported that apple trees in other parts of the region were not even bearing fruit.
After World War 2 and after the country had gained independence from the Dutch more people became interested in apple cultivation. Growth expanded considerably compared with the few shrubs that existed before the war. But the Malang apple remained a very unpopular fruit among Indonesians who clamored for the imported fruit which was sweet and juicy. In time apple farmers were introduced to newer agricultural techniques which transformed the sour Malang apple into a fruit of refreshing taste and of a crunchy consistency. The people of Malang were delighted. Soon more apple orchards were developed, not only in Malang but in other areas. Orchards began appearing in the village of Batu and more followed soon after in the uplands of Pasuruan, Mojokerto, Probolinggo, Ponorogo, Nganjuk, Magetan and even further away in Madiun.
Malang still produces the largest yields with an annual crop averaging 203,000 tons. A ministerial decree banning the import of foreign fruits that was issued in the early years reportedly drove up the apple crop in East Java. Apples from East Java are now in great demand with juice producers, bakeries, and the general population since the homegrown fruit has more reasonable price tags. With local apple consumption ever on the upswing, present crop yields are never enough to boost the country’s export figures of local apples.
Avocado (Persea Americana Milll)
Avocado, once a fruit that came to the attention of the local people because of its availability, now ranks in an exalted state because of its value to both the sophisticated tastes and those of simpler tastes. Avocado, used in international cuisines, is growing rapidly growing in popularity among affluent Indonesian householders, which has elevated this once lowly fruit to its present level. Before international lunching and dining became the activity that it is today, the avocado was merely regarded as a cheap but nice fruit to make juice from. In Minahasa, North Sulawesi, where the majority of the population is of Christian faith, more abuse is inflicted on this easily grown fruit with many possibilities. Pig farmers were known to feed avocado to their pigs since the fruit never fetched a price worth mentioning at the market. Trees were not actually planted then. They jut happened to grow by nature. Nowadays, Avacado are specially raised for export in East Java. The bulk of the crop is reportedly destined for Singapore.
Citrus Varieties (Citrus Reticulata Blanco)
A great variety of the citrus family is represented in East Java and, to a lesser degree, in West Java. Called ‘jeruk keprok’, meaning in the region’s jargon “bashed in lemon. This type of mandarin with crumpled skin has been a household word in East Java for centuries. The mandarins are a very close copy of the Chinese mandarins on sale in Hong Kong around Chinese New Year. One can only assume this was their place of origin. The East Java Mandarin has undergone several cross pollinations which has improved its outer skin. Instead of the puckered, crumpled skin, the fruit now has a smooth peel that no longer turns orange when the fruit ripens on the tree. Instead, the skin retains its luscious green color right through the ripening process. Besides the mandarin, there is “Jeruk manis”, a relative of the Spanish orange and much the same flavor, but a little less sweet. It is in season at the same time as the mandarins when, during the hot weather, its juice flavors most drinks in restaurants. In West Java this variety has a sister known as ‘jeruk Garut’ (orange from Garut). Garut is a small place in the highlands of West Java which grows several citrus varieties including this green orange. Unlike the imported oranges, the Garut orange remains freshly green on the outside as do several other citrus varieties in Indonesia.
The lemon family in Indonesia follows an interesting line. The most used is the ‘jeruk nipis’, a close relative of the western lemon which is three times larger in size and colored pale lemon. The local lemon is of a very round shape whose skin does not undergo any change in the ripening process. The difference in outer looks notwithstanding, its flavor is the same as that of the western lemon. One citrus variety which is used for medicinal purposed, and quite unfit for consumption, is a pear shaped lemon with a rough skin going by the name of ‘lemon suangi’. The fruit is used to ward off the “evil eye” in the northern region of the island Sulawesi. Its leaves often become the main ingredient in a traditional potion that is supposed to heal all kinds of ailments. The medicine is said to do wonders for stomach problems. This lemon variety, however, is now on the list of endangered plant species because of excessive use by the local populations in isolated regions of the island. The ‘lemon suangi’ used to grow in the wild and nobody really cultivated the plant and it had always been there when it was needed by medicine men. Now, the Lemon suangi’ has become a rare species which is difficult to find. Another variety of the same citrus family is found only in the most northern area of Sulawesi and it is a very tiny orange, known as the ‘lemon chui’.
Thorny Fruit (Dunio Zibethinus Murr)
Some of the tropical fruit varieties are shielded by a thorny skin. Among these are the Durian (Durio Zibethinus Murr), Jackfruit and to some extent, Soursop. Of these three the thorns of Durian are the sharpest. To get to the contents of the fruit one has to have an adroitness for opening the spiked skin. Durian is not skinned like other fruits. It is squeezed open by putting pressure upon the whole fruit. Using this method, the durian will easily fall apart into four or five segments when the fruit is ripe.
Controversy surrounds the Durian’s heavy, unpleasant odor. The pros and cons for the durian are more in favor with the majority of the population regarding it as the king of all fruits. Newcomers from non-tropical countries usually react strongly on their first encounter with the fruit as they try to grapple with the appalling odor emitted by the durian. There is no way to really define the aroma of the durian. Some people take it rather well, but some take offense from the odor which is of a persistent and penetrating quality. Some newcomers liken the taste to something close to heavenly while others comment on it briefly with disgust or a four-letter word. Europeans who learn to enjoy the fruit say that one definitely has to acquire a taste for durian. it usually takes several tries before an acquired taste for the fruit is established.
Jackfruit (Arthocarpus Heterophyllus Syn. Artocarpus Integra)
The jackfruit, a real giant in size, also has a thorny appearance. The thorns are not as sharp as that of the durian. Nangka, or in English, Jackfruit, is a seasonal fruit. The seeds are enclosed in yellow flesh, which is a great delicacy for most people. Jackfruit is also used as a local vegetable before the fruit ripens. It then becomes the main ingredient in a vegetable dish made with coconut milk called ‘gudeg’. Unlike Durian, Jackfruit emits a pleasant aroma when ripe. It’s flesh is of a golden color and quite sweet.
Soursop (Annona Muricata)
The last of the thorny fruit varieties is the Soursop (Anona Muricata L.), so called because of its immensely sour taste. Strange as it may sound, the fruit is in the habit of attracting black ants of the variety that are usually attracted to closed bowls of sugar. Soursop has to be prepared with sugar or sweeteners when it becomes a very refreshing fruit drink. Unlike the thorns of Durian and Jackfruit, the Soursop’s skin is a pliable covering scattered with soft thorns. Soursop fruit is now cultivated in large quantities for the supply of fruit juice manufacturing. Soursop is an easy fruit to cultivate as the tree does not require special soil. It is able to grow in coastal areas as well as on higher ground unlike Jackfruit which needs to grow on higher levels of about 700 metres.
Snake Fruit (Salacca edulis Reeinw)
Locally known as Salak (Salacca edulis Reinw) the skin of this fruit has a dried look a lot like a snake skin. Snake fruit plants are a relative of the palm tree, but grows close to the ground. The fruit nestles in clusters a little above the root of the tree on a bed of long, thin thorns. Except for the thorns on the main spines of the leaves, the tree is often mistaken for the sago palm. Salak palms thrive best on dry, sandy soil. The fruit has a sweet, acid like flavor and is totally dry. Juice from the snake fruit (salak) is entirely non-existent. The best snake fruit in the country is cultivated on the island of Bali. Bali Salak is the sweetest of all salak’s with only a slight trace of acid on the tongue. The season for the Salak is near the end of the year or at the start of a new year.
Pineapple (Ananas Comosut)
Another fruit available throughout the year is Ananas (Ananas comasut (L) Merr.) or pineapple. The pineapple tree is an agave like plant with pink leaves which grows without difficulty on all the islands of the Indonesian Archipelago. Originally pineapple was only grown for local consumption. Ananas growing has expanded greatly since the introduction of canned fruit manufacture was introduced in the country. Now there are fresh Ananas as well as canned pineapple available which is mostly earmarked for export. The best of this fruit is grown in Palembang on Sumatra which earned its reputation back in colonial days. The Palembang pineapple is nothing much to look at. It is small compared with others grown in other parts of the country with a scrawny look about it. But its content is very rich in juice and glucose. The taste of Ananas from Palembang is just like nectar and honey which cannot be said of some of the other pineapple varieties available. Some pineapples, despite the luscious golden color, can be quite sour.
Technology brought more than agricultural knowledge. It added industrial know how to pineapple planters who discovered that pineapple leaves is not only a basic ingredient in cable manufacturing, but the fibers of the leaves also makes a good base for cloth. This kind of cloth has not yet been developed to the the level that it is in the Philippines and it is still looked upon as an unusual novelty. Other preservation techniques, besides pineapple canning, is converting Ananas into pineapple jam. This fruit jam is very popular with the majority of the population. Not only is it made as a spread on bread, it is also used as a filling in small butter pies known in the country’s language as ‘nastar.’ Ananas jam used to be a homemade product. In our mothers’ and grandmothers’ days, housewives prided themselves with having the best recipe for pineapple jam. Pineapple jam bubbling on the stove emits a tantalizingly pleasant aroma of the fruit mixed with cinnamon and a few dried cloves. Nowadays, pineapple jam is mostly a mass produced product prepared and bottled in factories which seem to be sprouting with unbelievable speed in industrial areas throughout the country.
Rambutan and Dukuh (Nephellium Lapaceum L. and Lansium domesticum Corr)
Two fruit varieties that will always be winners with the fruit loving people of Indonesia, are Rambutan and Dukuh when they are in season. The season of Rambutan follows closely after the Durian season, and almost simultaneously with that of Dukuh. Rambutan is a special fruit, in that, it is a fruit covered with a hairy peel in red and pink colors. Its fleshy fruit is white and sweet. It should be noted that of all tropical fruit Rambutan has won over many non-tropical fruit consumers because of its exotic flavor and unusual appearance. This fruit has become a most sought after delicacy among the Japanese who are reportedly, going for exotic fruit in a big way and which they import from the States. Next to Japan, the United States have acquired a taste for tropical fruit. So much so, that tropical vegetable gardens and orchards were developed to satisfy growing demands. According to reports, in California one can get all the tropical fruit and vegetables one could wish for. Henceforth, rambutan will be readily available when the season arrives.
In Indonesia, the rambutan cultivations have received a boost with the expansion of the canning industry more than a decade ago. Superfluous Rambutan do not rot away and go to waste as in the past. The fruit is being supplied to factories where they are conserved in syrup prior to canning. Dukuh, or Lansa in East Indonesia, is a round fruit with yellowish skin that sometimes show dirty spots on them. The variety of East Indonesia, Lansa, has a much more clearer skin of a spotless golden color. Dukuh is perfectly round and Lansa is of an oval shape. With regard to taste, many share the opinion that Dukuh is much sweeter than Lansa. In spite of the fruit’s popularity, many people refrain from eating too much of it because Dukuh juice has been found to cause an irritation in the throat. Doctors have reported that during the Dukuh season, sore throats and coughs are sharply increased. The fruit, when in season, is sold in clusters like grapes mostly at roadside stalls and in traditional markets.
Jambu Air (Sizygium Aquem Merr & L.M. Perry)
A very pretty fruit is Jambu Air which comes in three colors. Red, white and pink. Before a Jambu Air tree starts to bear fruit, pink blossoms all but cover the whole crown of the tree. A few Jambu Air trees in bloom will spread a light fragrance thtroughout the garden. Jambu Air grows quickly and easily. Once the seedling has sprouted roots it needs very little attention except for regulr watering. Jambu Air is a very juicy fruit, though it is not exactly sweet or sour. The white variety, which is less ‘mushy’, is found to be sweeter than its colored sisters. Jambu Air is used in the local local salad called “Rujak.”
Mangosteen (Garcinia Mangostana)
The mangosteen grows under the dense foliage of a medium-size tree and is quite hard to see unless one is directly beneath it. One tree does not produce more than a few ripe fruit at a time and the tree is hard to propagate. There are no mangosteen plantations. The card-red husk encloses six or seven symmetrical segments. Splitting the rind is tricky because it is hard and tends to crumble, but once open, the segments separate easily. There is often considerable variation in the degree of maturity of each segment. The larger, mature segments usually have a seed while the others have an embryonic seed so small and soft it may go unnoticed. The taste is delicate, subtle and deliciously sweet. Mangosteens are easily found in the markets and fruit stalls starting in September. Hotels serve them regularly, usually in a mixed fruit basket.
Sapodilla (Sapota Zaspotilla)
Sapodilla grows on a small, unpretentious tree found all over the archipelago. The fruit looks like a small, brown potato with smooth skin. The flesh is a rich brown color with a vague radial structure of a lighter color, and contains one to five large seeds. The sapodilla has a very sweet, sugary taste, which hints at maple sugar. It is soft, though not juicy. The texture is very slightly gritty, but not objectionably so. The fruit can be broken open and the flesh easily eaten without consuming, either the seeds or the skin. Sapodilla must be eaten ripe, however, because the fruit contains tannin and a milky latex when unripe.
Pomegranate (Punica Granatum)
The pomegranate is a native of the Middle East but was cultivated in India and Indonesia in ancient times. It grows on a large shrub or small tree which has brilliant reddish-orange flowers. About the size of an orange, the dull red pomegranate has a tough, leathery skin which allows the fruit to travel well. The skin encases six paper-thin sepsums, each containing seeds that are individually encased within a transparent, pulpy capsule. The fruit and the rind are an effective anti-bacterial agent, and the dried rind is often used for the relief of dysentery.
Starfruit (Averrhoa Carambola)
Starfruit grows abundantly on a small tree that is found just about everywhere in the low and medium elevations of Indonesia. The fruit has not been highly bred so there are a number of local varieties, differing in size and sweetness. Only a fraction of the fruit finds its way to the local markets. The translucent skin of the golden-yellow fruit is so thin it can be easily punctured with a fingernail. The crisp and juicy pulp is fragrant and has a tart taste. The fruit is firm when ripe and can be eaten raw, skin and all, once the tough edges of the five ridges are cut off. Despite the slightly acidic taste, starfruit does not contain tannin and so is not astringent. The tree and the fruit are considered to have several uses varying from removing cloth stains to curing hangovers. It is also very high in vitamin C.
